First: Virginia and its Western namesake are as Northeastern as New York is Southern.

Second: The Wikipedia definition is inherently flawed because it neglects the existence of the Mid-Atlantic, a quirky region of the United States famous for its crabs, traffic, and a distinct and baffling enunciation of the letter “O.” The states of the Mid-Atlantic are Delaware, Maryland, South Jersey, Southeast PA, and sections of Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay.

The Northeast certainly includes New York and New England. Pennsylvania spans at least three regions: the mid-west, the mid-atlantic, and reaches somewhat into the Northeast, but just barely. Still, I think anyone who lives in Philly will agree that their city is probably it’s own thing, and anyone who lives in Jersey will understand that, at some point, their state blends with the mid-atlantic region.

So, I’m defining the Northeast as New York, New England, and Northern Jersey (where I’ve not been to a coffee shop, so there’s nothing from NJ on my list.).

Criteria: If you need criteria to figure out if a coffee shop is good, then it’s not a good coffee shop.